"When Baumstein gets the next block, you want to sell him your lot or
watch out," the prospector rejoined. "If he can't buy you up, he'll
make trouble for you. I reckon he knew what kind of ore the Darien
boys had got."

"Yes," said Jim, "I imagined something like that."

He said no more about the mine, and next morning the prospector resumed
his journey. After this, for a week or two, nothing broke the monotony
of their strenuous toil, until one day Martin and his packers arrived.

"I'm going down to the settlements and thought I'd strike your camp and
stop a night," he said. "The woods get lonesome, and your line's a
pretty good route to the pack trail."

Jim was somewhat surprised, but he took Martin to Jake and went to tell
Carrie.

"I wanted to see that man and you had better leave him to me," she
said. "To begin with, I'll give him the best supper I know how to
cook. Get busy and fix the fire while I see what we've got that's
extra nice."

"If you get after him, he's bound to give in," Jim remarked. "However,
I want you to study the fellow and tell me what you think."

"Then you would trust my judgment?"

"Of course. In many ways, it's as good as ours."

Carrie laughed. "Sometimes," she said, "you're very modest, Jim."

Martin ate a remarkably good supper and afterwards talked to Carrie
with obvious satisfaction. Like the most part of the men who venture
much in the wilds, he was marked by a grave quietness, but he had for
all that a touch of humor. By and by he turned to Jim and asked: "How
are you getting on? Have you struck fresh trouble since I saw you?"

Jim related his adventure at the rapid and Martin gave him a keen
glance. "I reckon you had an object for telling me, but I don't quite
get it. You think I hired the man who sent down the log, or you know I
didn't."

"He knows you didn't," Carrie declared.

"Thank you," said Martin. "I imagine what you say goes at this camp."

"Some way. I belong to the firm."

"It goes all the way," said Jim. "I often think Miss Winter is really
the head of the firm."

Martin's eyes twinkled. "Well, you're both making good; I've been
looking at the line you've cleared, and I've not often struck a supper
like this in the bush. Makes me feel I want to fire my cook." Then
his tone got grave. "Anyhow, I had nothing to do with wrecking your
canoes and don't think the freighter had. You see, I sometimes hire
Somas; he'll put the screw